These 18 Movies Are Vying For Best Picture At The 2017 Oscars

Can anything beat "La La Land"?

Oscar ballots were due last week, so the race is officially over, at least as far as nominations are concerned. This lengthy awards season has seen a few unlikely films become heavyweights, but can anything beat original pacesetter “La La Land”? As Heidi Klum says on “Project Runway,” “One day you’re in, and the next you’re out.” So who’s in? And which studios’ expensive campaigns came up short?

By my humble estimation, we’re looking at a nine-nominee Best Picture roster. (Remember the category can honor anywhere between five and 10 titles. It’s all about math.) Based on the precursor trajectory, expect “La La Land,” “Moonlight,” “Manchester by the Sea,” “Hidden Figures,” “Arrival,” “Fences,” “Lion,” “Hell or High Water” and “Hacksaw Ridge.”

Of course, nothing is a done deal until the nominations arrive Jan. 24, and a smattering of movies are hoping to kick those front-runners aside. Here’s a ranking of the contenders.